A Day of Play

"Only those who attempt the absurd will achieve the impossible." — M. C. Escher

Daily Painting: Day 10

Background on UART 400

I've had a few requests via my etsy shop to paint some new paintings of the saints.  However, I find myself in a bit of a dilemma now that I have discovered my new found love for pastels.  My past images were acrylics done on canvas board. They all had a bright, colorful, playful collage backgrounds.  The backgrounds began with ripped paper pasted to the board then layers of acrylics here and there, stamps and stencils.  Pastels would not work over such a background because they need something to adhere to especially when layer upon layer is being put down.  So I wondered how I could achieve a similar look but with pastels.  So, today was a day of experimenting.  I used my favorite pastel paper, UART sanded paper with a 400 grit.  I knew that this kind of pastel paper does take wet mediums.  I did want to be careful, though, not to use too much of any thick mediums that might fill the tooth of the paper.  I figured watercolors would work but wasn't sure how they would actually flow and react with this paper and with the various fun texture creating techniques that can be accomplished with watercolor.  Hence the experimenting began.

Quick Study on UART 400

I began with a quick study.  I just wanted to see, quickly, how this paper would accept and respond to certain things such as a detailed stamp and a few layers of watercolor.  Then I wondered how the pan pastels would go down on top of the painted background.  I even tried adding a few details with pastel pencils.   I was hopeful but felt I needed to do a larger painting.

watercolor on 8x10 Uart 400

Here I was playing with some watercolor techniques using salt and alcohol.  The watercolors did react but not as evident as it is on watercolor paper.  Also, I found the water doesn't flow like it does on watercolor paper.  To be expected for sure, but I was a little disappointed.

You can see some texture when I added some bubble wrap and saran wrap.  Actually it looked better in this photo than in real life.  And I will say the colors are much brighter and prettier than in this photo.

I continued to play.  I used my gelli print plate with acrylic paint to add the stencil of the rose in 2 places, I then watered down some white paint and painted over the top in some places to downplay the vibrancy.  I added some stamps here and there with staz-on ink (so there would be no bleeding).  I continued to add some more watercolor washes and spritz with alcohol and remove some by blotting with paper towel.

Finished background on UART 400

The next step will be sketching my image onto the background and beginning to color it in with pan pastels (something I have very little experience with so we will see).  More experimentation.

Creative Growing Pains

"Unless you do something beyond what you have mastered, you will never grow." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

My newest art obsession - Painting with Pastels - 5x7 practice

Do you have Art A.D.D.?  That is my term for someone who wants to try anything and everything related to art.  The internet is a dangerous thing because when I search for something (usually an art supply or maybe a tutorial), it inevitably leads me to some new product, gadget, art supply or technique that I never knew existed but looks so cool that I want to try it.  It is a good thing and a not so good thing.  It's good in that it gets me thinking and experimenting with new things but it is not so good in that it distracts me from really diving in deep and mastering one medium at a time.  It also costs me money because I usually need new supplies. I suppose you need to break a few eggs to make an omelet, hunh?

First painting exploring mixed media (2015)

I discovered lampworking (making glass beads) years ago when I took a jewelry making class (Yes, I was searching for a medium to be passionate about and master) and someone mentioned hand made glass beads.  Of course, I needed to know more about this, so I went home and researched the internet and hence the obsession began.  However, it was a good one.  I ruled out the desire to make jewelry for the desire to make beads.  I focused strictly on bead making for 15 years until I felt my creative juices for this medium drying up and a nudge to try something else.

Exploring ideas and things I am

passionate about. (2015)

That said, I think we always need to be in a state of curiosity if we are to truly find our passion and grow.  So, I began painting.  Something I had not done since college.  I called on what I knew from my experiences many years ago.  It really is like riding a bike, you never really forget but you are a little wobbly and uncertain for a while.  Once you develop a little confidence you start taking risks.  I'm not a big risk taker.  I take little risks at a time.  Just big enough to push me somewhat out of my comfort zone but enough to see if I can succeed and that in turns gives me increased confidence.  If I fail, so be it, I stilled learned something, can't grow much without it.  I think that is one reason why I like art.  It is a tangible way to see growth.

St. Joan of Arc.  Mixed media  (2017)

So, embrace your art A.D.D., but always with a focused goal in mind - to find what you are passionate about creating and do it!